Blockchains, Cloud & Development

Using the GitHub for Windows app with BitBucket

If you aren’t using any form of source control in your project then stop right now and fix this. To get up and running with Git takes a whole 10 minutes to set up, and you will have your source code up in the cloud, should your computer blow up in the future (or you absent mindedly delete an important file).

BitBucket vs. GitHub

Lets take a quick look at a matrix that explains the two servies. GitHub is quickly becoming the De facto place to host public open source projects. However if you are working on your own project you will probably want to keep your code private. This is where BitBucket shines, if you just want to a place to host all of your private repositories, then you can have unlimited private ones. The limitation of 5 collaborators is fine for private projects.

BitBucket

GitHub

Private repositories

Free(Limited to 5 collaborators)

PAID

Public repositories

Free

Free

The GitHub for windows application

Using Git from the command line can be hard. There are a lot of commands to learn while simultaneously trying to learn the workflow of Git works. While it is important long term to understand these commands, when getting started a GUI can help ease you into this new world.

The GitHub for Windows application has great integrated support for BitBucket (as can be expected), however it can work as a generic Git client just fine. This will allow us to use it with BitBucket.

Creating a repository on BitBucket

The new sign in screen on BitBucket.org surprised me. You can now actually sign into BitBucket with your GitHub account *Mind Blown*

Once you have logged in, create a new repository

Connecting the GitHub app with BitBucket

Once you have created a repository, find a place where it displays the address of your new Git repository (e.g. under Get Started). Then select the URL and then drag the text from your browser, and drop it into the GitHub for Windows app. It will automatically add the repository.

Now place your source code within that folder in Windows Explorer, commit your source code into the repository, then publish your new change set back up into Bitbucket. Done easy!

I really Appreciate your efforts. Very informative post! I’ve found using the GitHub for Windows app as a really cool thing. The post can be helpful for anyone who is trying to find a place on the cloud to store all the personal source code.